Menteith

Language

“Revenges burn in them...”

[Click to see note.]

Language

“Revenges burn in them...”

These lines can be read a number of ways:

1. Their revenge is like a fever which burns in them, a dire disease (dear cause) moving even the calmest (mortified) among them to shed their own blood in battle. “Bleeding,” the practice of cutting a patient to let blood out, was thought to cure a fever.

2. Their cause is so honorable (dear) that even an insensitive (mortified) man would respond to (be excited by) their call to arms (alarm).

3. Their motivation (cause) for killing Macbeth was intense (dear); the wounds of their dead (mortified) compatriots had opened back up (been excited to bleeding). It was believed that a murder victim’s wounds bled in the presence of the murderer.

Excite the mortified man.

Angus

Near Birnam wood

Menteith

The English soldiers are nearby, led by Malcolm, his uncle Siward, and good Macduff. They’re burning with revenge. Their reasons for revenge would stir even a dead man to fight.

Angus

We’ll meet them near Birnam Wood as they’re coming from that direction.

Caithness

Does anyone know if Donalbain is with his brother?

Lennox

I’m sure he’s not. I have a list of all the nobles in their forces. There’s Siward's son and many other young nobles who have just reached manhood.

Shall we well meet them; that way are they coming.

Caithness

Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?

Lennox

For certain, sir, he is not. I have a file

Of all the gentry. There is Siward's son,

And many unrough youths that even now

Protest their first of manhood.

Menteith

What does the tyrant?

Caithness

Performance

Caithness, Lines 13-17a

Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.

Some say he's mad; others, that lesser hate him,

Do call it valiant fury. But, for certain,

He cannot buckle his distempered cause

Within the belt of rule.

Wordplay

“distempered cause”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“distempered cause”

The wordplay here means that this phrase could refer to two things:

A disorganized attempt to stir his followers to action. Macbeth cannot take control of his disorganized followers.

A diseased cause. Macbeth cannot rule properly because his cause is diseased.

Angus

Menteith

What’s the tyrant doing?

Caithness

He’s preparing Dunsinane castle’s defenses. Some people say he’s crazy. Others, who hate him less, say it’s just valiant anger. What’s clear is that he’s unable to control those he’s trying to rouse to fight on his behalf.

Angus

Now he can feel the blood on his hands from those secret murders. Every minute a revolt starts in response to his treason. The soldiers who obey him do so only because of duty — not loyalty. The title of “king” feels ill-suited on Macbeth, like the stolen robes of a giant, which could easily slip off a dwarf.

Now does he feel

His secret murders sticking on his hands;

Performance

Angus, Lines 17b-23a

Now, minutely, revolts upbraid his faith-breach;

Those he commands move only in command,

Nothing in love. Now does he feel his title

Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe

Simile

"like a giant's robe"

[Click to see note.]

Simile

"like a giant's robe"

The clothing simile explains how Angus imagines Macbeth feels at this moment. The wickedly obtained title of king feels ill-suited to Macbeth, as would the clothes of a giant to a dwarf who has stolen them.

Upon a dwarfish thief.

Menteith

Who then shall blame

His pestered senses to recoil and start,

When all that is within him does condemn

Itself for being there?

Caithness

Well, march we on,

To give obedience where 'tis truly owed.

Menteith

Who could blame him for being jittery on the outside, when inside he must feel guilty for what he has done?

Caithness

Well, we’ll march on to give our loyalty to those who truly deserve it. We’ll join with Malcolm, the healer of our sick country, and with him we’ll give every drop of our blood to make our country well again.

Lennox

We’ll give as much as Scotland needs, to nourish the flowering Malcolm, and weed out that tyrant. Now let’s march to Birnam Wood.

[All exit, marching]

Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal,

And with him, pour we in our country's purge,

Language

“And with him, pour we in our country's purge, each drop of us.”

[Click to see note.]

Language

“And with him, pour we in our country's purge, each drop of us.”

This phrase has two possible readings:

To treat sick Scotland, Caithness and the others will pour themselves, each as drops of medicine.

In purging Scotland of Macbeth, they will give every drop of their blood (or fight until each of them drops dead).